Nigeria has been nominated by member states to lead Africa on the Bureau of the United Nations Open-Ended Working Group on Ageing (OEWG).

The nomination was effected during the 13th Session of the UN Open-Ended Working Group on Ageing ongoing in New York.

According to a statement signed by the Head, of Cooperate Affairs and Media, Mr. Omini Odeh, the nomination was due to Nigeria’s authenticity and consistency in leading the charge at the United Nations on concrete ways to realize the global mechanism for strengthening the protection of human rights of older persons.

He added that it was also as a result of Nigeria’s current local records of concrete policy actions and legislative efforts to accelerate the inclusion of older persons.

He stated that by this nomination, the country becomes will become the sought-after and needful leader in prioritizing the human rights of older persons.

According to him, with Nigeria taking a seat on the UN-OEWGA Bureau, the country has kindled the hope of many member-states as the National Human Rights Institutions and Non-Governmental Organizations, that the UN-OEWGA process would now, gather momentum after a slow 12 years.

The statement however reiterated the government’s stands on its UN Statement of delivering the United Nations General Assembly Resolution 67/139 of 20th December 2012.

“The resolution requests the Open-Ended Working Group to present to the General Assembly, at the earliest possible date, a proposal containing, inter alai, the main elements that should be included in an International Instrument to promote and protect the rights and dignity of older persons, which are not currently addressed sufficiently by existing International human rights instruments.”

It mentioned that Nigeria’s membership and partnership with like-minded member-states in drafting normative texts towards negotiations by Member-States have facilitated the needed breakthrough during the 13th Session in what had become a monotonous cycle.

UN-OEWGA is the only group in the United Nations that brings together Member-states, National Human Rights Institutions (NHRIs), NGOs and UN Agencies on the issue of a multilateral legally binding instrument to strengthen the protection of the Rights of older persons. It was established by the UN General Assembly in 2010.

(The Guardian)

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